Folding display



June 12, 1934. H. ZIEMMERMAN FOLDING DISPLAY Filed June 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWW [III

5% "2a lllll LMHHHM 7760672371 ZLe/wmermrz Mfg QI EWW Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES FOLDING DISPLAY Henry Ziemmerman, Chicago, 111., assignor to Chicago Cardboard Company, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 25, 1932, Serial No. 619,224

20 Claims. (Cl. 211156) This invention relates in general to a folding display for advertising purposes and has more particular reference to a collapsible construction which is foldable to occupy less space for packing, shipping and storage.

One of the important features of the invention is in the provision of an offset folding construction providing a shelf for supporting articles thereon and to give a perspective effect.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a sectional folding structure in which an easel is securely attached to some of the sections and is also collapsible to fold with the main display without attaching or disconnecting any of the parts.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a hollow angular supporting easel which gives the display more rigidity when it is set up and positively locks the easel in this position.

A' further object of the invention is in the provision of a supporting easel which is scored to fold angularly with respect to the main display so that it will fold and unfold more readily in accordance with the corresponding movements of the main display.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the preferred constructions being'illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan View of a folding display in accordance with this invention in its collapsed condition;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the folded structure;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the display in partially open position;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the structure in the po-' sition shown by Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the main display in fully distended position but before the easel is folded;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the display in its distended position with the easel bent longitudinally for looking but just before it is locked;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing th easel in its locked position and the display fully distended;

Fig. 8 is a detail of the easel lock;

Fig. 9 is a perspective of a modification in which the easel has a similar folding movement but is normally located in a horizontal instead of a vertical position;

Fig. 10 is a perspective of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 9 in partially folded position;

Fig. 11 is a perspective of the rear of a folding display having a collapsing easel of a similar type but with a different look for the easel; and

Figs. 12 and 13 are modifications of the easel locking means.

In a collapsing display of the offset type it is somewhat difiicult to provide a supporting easel and by scoring the easel in such a manner that it will fold and unfold in a predetermined manner as the main display is folded or extended without requiring any choice by an operator in setting up or collapsing the display.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a main display sheet of the offset type is shown in Figs. 1 to '7 comprising connected sections 15, 16 and 17 joined by folding score lines 18 and 19. When extended this display provides an offset or shelf as shown in Fig. 5 upon which articles may be displayed or supported, the offset also producing a perspective effect depending upon the illustration carried by the display.

To support the main display sheet, an easel 20 of sheet material is attached by hinged portions 21 and 22 to the display portions 15 and 1'7, omit-' ting any connection with the intermediate portion 16 so that the intermediate section or sec-, tions, if there are more than one, may be free from actual connection with the easel. This easel is also formed from sheet material having the general shape, as shown in Fig. 5, with the portions 21 and 22 joined thereto by score lines 23 and 24'respectively and having also a longitudinal score line 25 upon which the easel is folded. Extending angularly from the score lines 18 and 19 of the main display sheet are the easel score lines 26 and 2'7 disposed substantially at right angles to each other so that they cross the longitudinal score and fold line 25 and when the easel is folded longitudinally it cannot collapse about the score lines 26 and 27 but as soon as the easel is unfolded so that the portions at the sides of the score line 25, then it may be collapsed upon the score lines 26 and 2'7 but only'in a definite relative relation, the score linesbeing oppositely disposed in the easel so that it will fold and collapse in a zig-zag fashion, the upper section of the easel maintaining its connection with the upper section '15 of a display, and the lower section of the easel maintaining its fixed connection with the lower section 17 of the main display sheet.

In order to lock the easel in an extended form, a locking wing 28 projects from the easel portion 22 which is attached to the lower display portion 17 and has reduced tongues 29 adapted to be inserted through corresponding locking slots in the outer edge of the easel so that when locked the easel will have a substantial tubular formation, as shown in Fig. 7, firmly but releasably locked in position and constituting a light and strong support which gives great rigidity and stability to a folding display thus equipped.

In order to assist in attaching the locking tongues 29 in the slots 30, a finger opening 31 is provided in the locking wing 28 adjacent each tongue 29 by means of which the tongue maybe pressed into and disengaged from the slot.

Other locking constructions are shown in Figs. 12 and 13 comprising a tongue 32 in the form of a hook for engaging in the slot 30 or a pair of interengaging hooks 33 and 34 on'the locking wing 28 and easel 20 respectively.

A similar folding easel construction my also be applied'to a multi-section folding display, as shown in Fig. 9, having a main portion 40 with side wings 41 connected by offset portions 42. The easel 43 has a hinged portion 44 attached to the main portion 40 and hinged portions 45 attached to the wings 41 and angular extensions 46 for engaging the offset portions 42 for holding them in distended position. In the easel are offset score lines 4'7 and 48 adjacent each end adapting this portion of the easel to fold oppositely, the easel also having a locking wing 49 formed j by a score line 50 which crosses the score lines 48 and when the lock wing 49 is bent downwardly as shown in Fig. 9, it prevents the display from collapsing. This easel will stand upright if one end is extended with its edge at right angles to the end of Wing 41.

In order to fold this display, the locking wing must first be bent into the plane of the main portion of the easel 43 whereupon each end portion of the easel may fold oppositely upon itself as indicated in Fig. '10, until the portions thereof fold fiatly together, drawing the wings 41 over against the face of the main display portion 40 and thereby collapsing the display in compact folded form.

A'simpler form of easel is shown in Fig. 11, comprising an offset display member having connected top, shelf and bottom sections 50, 51 and 52, the easel 53 having a hinged portion 54 connected to the top section, a hinged portion 55 connected to the bottom section, and a locking portion 56 hinged at the bottom edge of the easel with a score line 57 to intercept a score line 58 of the easel preventing it from folding along this score line 58 and upon the cooperating score line 59 of the easel when the locking'wing 56 rests upon the ground, thereby holding the display in its extended position. To collapse this display it must be raised so that the wing 56 may be bent back into the plane of the remainder of the easel whereupon it may be folded oppositely upon itself by means of the score lines 58 and 59, collapsing the sections of the display together with the easel collapsed in a zig-zag fashion between the sections of the main display.

In all of these folding displays the folding and unfolding movement of the easels in collapsing or extending the displays give the appearance of a twisting action by reason of their zig-zag folding movement, and the opposite location of the score lines prevents any material strain being given to the sections of the main display so that there is no tendency to break or sever the sections of the main display in folding orunfolding. The folding action of the easels also prevents the dis-' plays from being improperly'collapsed or extended as the sections of the display are always under the control of the connected easel parts which insure that they be folded and unfolded in the proper manner. The locking of the easels is also simple and positive, preventing the displays from collapsing even when they do not rest upon a; supporting surface, so that they may be carried readily from place to place in their distended positions without danger of collapsing and may also be easily and readily collapsed whenever desired.

I claim:

1. A folding display comprising a main display sheet having scores forming connected sections unfolding to offset relation, and an easel having connected folding sections of which certain sections are hingedly attached to the offset sections of the main sheet and scored lengthwise thereof and angularly across and on opposite sides of the lengthwise score forming an intermediate section unattached to the main sheet but foldable at an angle to and disposed between the attached sections.

2. In afolding display comprising a plurality of connected folding sections, a supporting easel therefor having a fold line forming a longitudinal folding portion and angular fold lines extending across the other fold line and adjacent lines folding oppositely for defining a section which folds at an angle to the other adjacent sections of the easel.

3. A folding display comprising a main display sheet having scores forming a plurality of connected sections and an easel therefor having sections connected tocertain of the sections of the display sheet and having a longitudinal score line and other score lines extending at an angle across the longitudinal score line and defining an intermediate section which has opposite end folds upon which it collapses between its adjacent sections when the main display sheet is folded at an angle to the easel sections which are attached to this display sheet.

4. In a folding display, a main display sheet having scores forming connected sections foldable against each other, an easel hinged to certain of the main display sheet sections and having a longi tudinal score line for locking the easel sections in extended position, transverse intermediate score lines in the easel extending at an angle to the longitudinal score line and adjacent score lines on opposite sides of the easel defining an easel section foldable between the adjacent connected sections of the easel and at oppositely an angle thereto.

5. In a folding display, a main display sheet 130 having means forming connected sections folding against each other in collapsing, and an easel therefor having means forming hinged portions connected to corresponding sections of the display sheet, and also forming an intermediate section joining the connected easel sections and foldable oppositely at the ends and at an angle thereto so that one connected section may be folded in one direction and the opposite connected section may be folded in the other direction with the intermediate section between them.

6. In a folding display, a main display sheet, having scores forming connected sections collapsible together and an easel therefor having scores forming connected sections hinged to cor responding sections of the display sheet and foldable in opposite directions when the display sheet is collapsed and a connected section of the easel foldable at an angle between the other two but free from connection with the display sheet.

7. In a folding display, a main display sheet having means defining a plurality of connected sections foldable together in collapsing and an easel therefor comprising means forming connected sections hinged to the sections of the display sheet and comprising an intermediate angular section foldable oppositely at its ends and at an angle to both of its adjacent connected sections and collapsing between them adapting the adjacent easel sections to fold oppositely when the display is collapsed.

8. In a folding display, a main display sheet having connected sections foldable together when collapsed, an easel therefor comprising sections hinged to the display sheet having a longitudinal score and scores extending across the longitudinal score to define an intermediate section foldable angularly with respect to its connected sections when the display is collapsed, and means to lock the easel folded upon the longitudinal score to prevent the display from collapsing.

9. A folding display comprising a main display sheet having connected sections unfolding to offset relation, an easel therefor having sections hinged to the offset sections, and an intermediate section defined by angular scores which is unconnected with the display sheet, the scores extending angularly from the adjacent ends of the offset sections and adapting the easel sections to fold oppositely in collapsing.

10. A folding display comprising a main display sheet having means forming connected sections unfolding to offset relation, with a supporting portion between them, an easel hinged to the offset sections having means forming an intermediate section corresponding to the supporting section and defined by opposite angular score lines connecting it to adjacent sections and having a longitudinal score line extending across the other angular score lines and the intermediate section being foldable about this score line when the easel sections are in alignment to prevent the easel and the display from collapsing.

11. A folding display comprising a main display sheet having means forming a plurality of connected sections, an easel therefor having a hinged connection with alternate sections of the display sheet and an intermediate section unconnected with the display sheet, the easel having opposite score lines defining a section which folds angularly with respect to the hinged sections of the easel, and a longitudinal score line in the easel extending transversely of a section score line to prevent the main display and the easel from collapsing when it is folded.

12. A folding display comprising a main display sheet having means forming a plurality of foldably related sections, an easel for connecting and supporting the sections, opposite score lines in the easel defining connected end portions and an intermediate angular section foldable at an angle to both of the connected portions thereof, and a longitudinal score line crossing the other score lines to hold the display sheet and easel in a distended position, and interengaging locking means on the easel to form a tubular supporting portion thereof.

13. In a folding display, a main sheet having connected sections foldable together, an easel having sections hinged to the sections of the main sheet and a longitudinal folding score line, score lines extending across the longitudinal score line, the longitudinal score line forming a locking wing, and means connected to one of the easel sections for interengagement with the locking wing to form a tubular support, and to prevent the display from collapsing.

14. A folding easel for an offset display, the display having a two plane main surface joined by a connecting plane, the easel fixedly hinged to the main planes and having angularly related scores upon which it collapses and forming a looking wing which folds out of the planeof the easel and at an angle thereto to prevent the easel from collapsing about the angularly related scores.

15. In combination, a folding easel, and a display with offset panels, the easel having a fixed hinging connection with the panels and scores forming intermediate angular and connected portions folding at an angle to each other and to the hinged portions, the easel portions having scores in opposite sides for folding oppositely in collapsing the main display panels, and means for locking the easel against collapsing when unfolded.

16. A folding display comprising a main folding display having scores forming parallel display surfaces offset with respect to each other, and a folding easel having portions connected to the offset display surfaces and having adjacent fold lines folding oppositely and forming intermediate angular surfaces between the said connected portions to collapse the easel sections angularly and oppositely with respect to each other in folding the main display together in parallel relation.

17. A folding easel structure having portions for attachment to offset display surfaces, a display therefor having two parallel planes connected by an angular plane, the easel being fixedly attached to the parallel planes and having opposite scores forming angular connected portions about which the easel collapses and a wing crossing the score lines, the wing foldable to make an angular looking support preventing the easel from collapsing until it is turned back into the plane of the remainder of the easel.

18. In a folding display, a main sheet having connected sections foldable together, an easel having connected sections hinged to the sections of the main sheet and foldable transversely in collapsing, the easel having longitudinal fold lines forming a locking Wing to prevent the display from collapsing, a cooperating locking part extending from one of the main sheet sections and interengaging with the locking wing of the easel, one of the interlocking parts having a perforation adjacent the interlocking parts to attach and disconnect them.

19. A folding display having an attached folding easel scored to provide a tubular supporting structure when unfolded, the supporting structure comprising interengaging locking wings and. one of the wings having a finger opening adjacent the interlocking parts to engage and disengage them.

20. A folding display comprising a main display sheet having connected sections unfolding ,to offset relation, an easel hinged to the offset sections and scored lengthwise thereof and angularly across the lengthwise score defining an intermediate section foldable oppositely at an angle to each of the adjacent sections, the lengthwise score forming a locking wing to prevent the display from collapsing when extended, and. the easel having a cooperating locking wing unfolding to interengage with the said locking wing, the interengaging portions of the easel and the other portions of the easel together forming a hollow angular rigid support.

HENRY ZIEMMERMAN. 

